Martinsburg boys shut out Spring Mills

October 11, 2013

SPRING MILLS - The Martinsburg Bulldogs could not have picked a better night to have their team chemistry realign itself.

Not even Thursday night's rain could hold the Bulldogs back offensively in an Eastern Panhandle Athletic Conference match against the Spring Mills Cardinals.

"The starting 11 were back together, and it was nice to start clicking again on offense," Bulldogs coach Curt Czarnecki said. "When you don't have all 11 guys, the chemistry is lacking, and we saw the chemistry we had with our first 11."

Tristen Reid led the way for the Bulldogs with four goals and three assists as the Bulldogs took an 8-0 shutout victory.

"Our chemistry is really good," Bulldogs midfielder Erik Ochoa said. "We know the plays we want, the through balls we want and passes that we want, and we mesh up great."

Reid found the back of the net in the 13th minute with a shot that fired past Spring Mills keeper Jonathan McGuire's outstretched arms to the upper-right corner of the net to put Martinsburg on the board.

The next two Bulldog goals came from two-person soccer situations with Ochoa and Reid.

"Ever since I met Erik, I recognized that we both have foot skills," Reid said. "We have worked off each other, and we talk all the time about the game."

In the 27th minute, Ochoa hit Reid with a short corner kick from the left side. Reid passed it back to Ochoa who sent a shot from left to right that found the net to make the score 2-0.

Six minutes later, Ochoa found Reid on a long pass over the top that was brought down and broken away to make the score 3-0.

The fourth goal of the first half was scored by Touissant Boulaz following a cross from left to right by Nick Burkhart.

In the second half, Reid contributed to every goal either by scoring or assisting.

Boulaz scored his second goal following Reid breaking through the defense for the assist to open the second half. Jeremy Smith assisted both Reid's goals in the 59th and 61st minutes. Reid chalked up his third assist on a crossing pass from left to right to Burkhart in the 77th minute to round out the scoring for the Bulldogs.

Martinsburg's team chemistry was strong not only on the offensive end by putting up 31 shots, 21 on target with 13 saved by McGuire, but also the defensive end, as the Cardinals were unable to take a shot at the Martinsburg goal in the entire 80 minutes. Jason Hill completed his 25th career shutout.